Keep Your Kids Safe On The Internet

by Simon Johnson

Overview

Protect your children from dangers that lurk on the Internet. Learn to identify the real threats--be they pedophiles, cyber-stalkers, hackers, spyware, viruses, or adware--and formulate an effective protection plan. Choose the best software for your needs and your budget from the book's independent review of firewalls, web filters, anti-virus products, and more. Plus, a companion Web site hosted by the author will update data and threats.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780072257410
Publisher:	McGraw-Hill/OsborneMedia
Publication date:	08/26/2004
Pages:	340
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.71(d)

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgments	xiii
	Foreword	xv
	Introduction	xvii
Part I	Real Threats to Your Children on the Internet and What You Can Do about Them
Chapter 1	What Is the Internet?	3
	What Is the Internet?	4
	Who Created the Internet?	4
	Who Owns the Internet?	5
	What Does an Internet Service Provider (ISP) Do?	6
	How Is the Internet Regulated?	8
	Why the Internet Is Good for Your Children	9
	What Do Children Do on the Internet?	12
	Web Browsers	12
	Websites	13
	Search Engines and Directories	15
	E-mail	17
	Instant Messaging (IM)	19
	Internet Relay Chat (IRC)	20
	Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Applications	22
	File Transfer Protocol (FTP) Applications	23
	Usenet/Newsgroups	25
	Message Boards	28
	Mailing Lists	29
	Website Chat Rooms	30
	Voice Chat	30
	Videoconferencing (Audio and Video Chat)	31
	Endnotes	32
Chapter 2	What Are the Threats to Your Children and How Serious Are They?	35
	Pedophiles Are Using the Internet to Look for Kids	36
	Who Are They?	39
	Why Do They Prey on Children?	40
	Pornography and Inappropriate Content on the Internet	40
	The Pornography Industry	41
	The Target Market	41
	Access to Pornography	41
	Pushing Pornography	42
	Committing Crimes: Bombs, Drugs, Theft, and Fake Identification	42
	Cyberbullying: How Bullies Harass Your Kids 24/7	44
	Invasion of Privacy	45
	The Dangers of Free E-mail Services--The Devil Is in the Details	46
	Privacy: The Hidden Cost of Free Software	47
	Spyware: Your Computer Is Watching You	47
	Adware: Creating an Online Profile of Your Interests	48
	Endnotes	51
Chapter 3	How to Avoid and Reduce the Risks to Your Kids on the Internet	57
	Educate Your Kids	58
	Monitor What Your Kids Do on the Internet	60
	Stumbling Across Inappropriate Content on Websites	61
	Inappropriate Content Can Be Sent to Your Kids via E-mail	61
	Pop-Up Advertising Can Display Anything to Your Kids	64
	Newsgroups Can Expose Your Kids to Inappropriate Material	67
	The Facts about Predators and Chat Rooms	68
	Instant Messaging Gives Predators Access to Your Kids	76
	Privacy Risks from Message Boards and Mailing Lists	79
	Privacy Risks from Audio- and Videoconferencing	82
	Legal Risks from Using Peer-to-Peer Applications	83
	Privacy Risks from Adware, Spyware, and Malicious Software	87
	Contests Put Your Privacy at Risk	90
	Going "Fishing" Isn't What It Used to Be	90
	Downloading Pirated Software	92
	Malicious Viruses, Worms, and Trojans	93
	Removing Dangerous Software	97
	Finding Software Installed on Your Computer	97
	Finding Specific Files	98
	Removing Software	98
	Endnotes	100
Part II	The Best (Not Necessarily the Most Expensive) Software to Protect Your Kids
Chapter 4	Content-Filtering Software	105
	To Filter or Not to Filter--That Is the Question!	106
	Are Your Kids Protected at School?	107
	Use the Content Advisor in Your Web Browser	108
	You Can Use Search Engine Filtering Too	111
	AOL Users	113
	Content-Filtering Software	114
	Results of My Tests of Content-Filtering Software	116
	My Verdict on the Content-Filtering Products I Tested	131
	Content-Filtering Products in Detail	132
	CyberPatrol	132
	Cyber Sentinel	135
	CYBERsitter	138
	Cyber Snoop	141
	Net Nanny 5	144
	Optenet	147
	Privacy Service	149
	We-Blocker	151
	Endnotes	155
Chapter 5	Using Filtering Software to Keep Out the Junk Mail	157
	What Is E-mail-Filtering Software?	158
	How Does E-mail Filtering Work?	158
	Blacklists and Whitelists	158
	Real-time Blackhole Lists	159
	Keyword Filtering	160
	Bayesian Filtering	160
	Rule-based Filtering	160
	Using Fingerprints to Identify Spam	161
	Brands of E-mail-Filtering Software	161
	Types of E-mail-Filtering Software	162
	Is E-mail Filtering Compatible with My Existing E-mail Program?	164
	Minimum System Requirements	165
	Blocking Characteristics	167
	How Easy Is It to Use?	168
	What to Look for in an E-mail-Filtering Program	168
	Testing with Live Spam	168
	Installation and Removal	170
	Documentation	171
	Technical Support	172
	Price	172
	My Verdict	173
	Content-Filtering Products in Detail	174
	AntiSpam	174
	MailWasher Pro	177
	SpamKiller	180
	SpamNet	183
	SpamTrap	185
	Endnotes	188
Chapter 6	Internet Firewall Software	189
	How a Firewall Works	190
	Brands of Internet Firewall Software	190
	What to Look for in a Firewall	192
	The Features You Need in a Firewall	201
	My Verdict on the Best Firewall Product to Use	205
	Internet Security Suites	206
	Problems with Internet Security Suites	207
	How You Can Save $$$	207
	Firewall Products in Detail	208
	Kerio Personal Firewall	208
	McAfee Personal Firewall Plus	211
	Norton Personal Firewall	213
	Outpost Firewall Pro	216
	ZoneAlarm Pro	218
Chapter 7	Antivirus Software	221
	What Is Antivirus Software and Why Do You Need It?	222
	Which Antivirus Software Is the Best?	224
	My Verdict	234
	Antivirus Products in Detail	234
	Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal	235
	McAfee VirusScan	238
	Norton AntiVirus	241
	Trend PC-cillin	245
	eTrust EZ Antivirus	248
Chapter 8	Malicious Software Detection	251
	How Malware Detection Works	253
	Software Brands Tested	253
	What Features Will Stop Malicious Software from Getting to You?	255
	How These Products Perform	256
	Additional Information	258
	My Verdict	259
	Are Those Antivirus Software Claims for Real?	260
	Malicious Software-Detection Products in More Detail	262
	Ad-aware	263
	PestPatrol	265
	Spybot Search & Destroy	267
	Endnotes	270
Chapter 9	Putting Your Defense into Place	271
	Patching the Security Holes in Your Computer	272
	Setting Your Computer to Update Itself	274
	How to Create an Effective Defense	275
	What Do You Do If Your Kids Are Subject to an Internet Threat?	276
	A Note about the Police	279
	Conclusion	280
	Endnotes	281
Appendix	Spyware and Adware	283
	BargainBuddy	287
	BroadCastPC	287
	BrilliantDigital	287
	Claria (Gator/GAIN)	288
	CommonName	290
	Cydoor	291
	Downloadware	291
	eBates MoneyMaker	292
	eUniverse.IncrediFind BHO and eUniverse_KeenValue	293
	eZula	294
	I-Lookup.GWS	295
	IPInsight	295
	n-CASE (180Solutions)	296
	New.net	297
	Radlight	299
	Shopathome (SahAgent)	299
	Webhancer	300
	WhenU.SaveNow or SaveNow	300
	WurldMedia	301
	Endnotes	301
	Index	307

Editorial Reviews

Johnson cofounded one of Australia's first IT companies and is an expert on Internet security. When he became a father in 2002, he realized his young daughter would soon be tooling around online and would inevitably encounter inappropriate spam messages, among other hazards. He promptly founded an information Web site for parents to keep their kids safe online, which then begot this comprehensive guide. The Web is still a "wild, undiscovered, and unregulated frontier," Johnson says, a tool pedophiles use to look for victims. Nearly 90% of kids encounter pornography online while doing their homework, he warns. The good news is parents can take steps to protect their children so they may safely and effectively use the Internet, which Johnson presents-in spite of the dangers-as essential for contemporary learning. Most importantly, Johnson asserts, parents should educate their children (e.g., tell them not to give out personal information online), monitor computer use (place the computer in a shared place, not in a child's bedroom) and buy computer software to filter and protect. He suggests five programs that parents should install and walks readers through individual products, explaining the pros and cons and making recommendations. Rather than offering a diatribe on the dangers of the Web, Johnson offers a practical, well-researched guide to help parents minimize the Web's potential drawbacks. (Aug. 19) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

These two books aim to educate parents about sexual predators. Johnson, a leading expert on children's safety, focuses on keeping children away from pedophiles lurking online. Owing to his intended audience-parents/caregivers with little computer knowledge-he provides a lot of screen shots to clarify concepts and terms. After running through the basics of the Internet, Johnson goes into detail about the threats posed by people intending to harm children on the Internet and ways to reduce the risks. He then offers a detailed examination and comparison of the software available to protect children online. Parents, who can find this topic scary and overwhelming, will be empowered by Johnson's manageable guidebook. A welcome addition to public libraries. Goldenflame, a recovering sex offender, offers an eyeopening examination of his life and inner struggle through rehabilitation. The book is not, as the subtitle suggests, a quick reference for parents/caregivers looking to protect their children from sexual predators. Instead, it is a memoir sprinkled with the odd tip; though suggestions are helpfully consolidated at the end, this is essentially Goldenflame's personal story, with telling anecdotes that could benefit fellow recovering sex offenders. Recommended for larger memoir/recovery collections.-Kari Ramstrom, MLIS, Plymouth, MN Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal